Everyone engages in shopping whether physical or online. Shopping is important in our lives because it's necessary.
Even if we don't buy luxuries, clothes, or jewellery, we still need to buy groceries to survive.
The most crucial element of any shopping is this.
Although we buy based on our budgets, the more money you have, the more shopping you do.
There are two methods of shopping, namely 'physical and online shopping '
Physical Shopping
This is the traditional way of shopping, and it is still popular today. Customers engage in conversation with vendors and other customers. Some people utilize this platform to socialize, laugh, and have fun.
In the mall, some people met celebrities.
I recall meeting Adekunle Gold while shopping at Ikeja City Mall two years ago ( one of my favourites Nigerian Artiste).
We both exchanged greetings and even some shoppers signed autographs and snapped photographs with him.
The ability to touch the items you want to purchase is another important aspect of physical shopping. For example, if you are buying clothing, you will need to touch the texture to confirm that it is the texture you want. If it's groceries, you can tell whether the foods or fruits are still in good or bad condition just by glancing at them.
Here are some disadvantages of physical shopping, since everything that has benefits also has drawbacks.
Time consumption: It takes time to travel from your home to the mall. Sometimes you might need to visit multiple stores before you can find the items you want.
Limited Space: Physical shops often have a limited amount of space, therefore they might not be able to carry as many things as an online company.
Short operating hours: They operate within a specific time, you have to visit the stores during working hours.
Online Shopping
This is the act of purchasing goods over the internet, via your PC or smartphone. This act is called electronic commerce or e-commerce. Buyers visit their preferred e-commerce websites e.g Amazon.com, eBay.com, and jiji.com and choose the goods they want to buy. Then you make payment online.
Many individuals choose to do this kind of purchasing because it is so convenient. You can purchase everything you require at your convenience, even from within your house, and it will be delivered to you a few days later.
Many people find it stressful to physically shop at several malls, and some people still struggle to find the items they want to buy. However, when purchasing online, all you have to do is explore your chosen e-commerce site and conduct a needs analysis.
Another great feature of online shopping is the ability to easily compare prices on different websites, to choose the best price for yourself.
Also, there are cons of shopping online, I will discuss a few.
No physical Interaction: Being unable to touch the products can be challenging for items like shoes, clothing, and furniture since you could not get precisely what you ordered. Even if you get the right size of clothing online, you won't be able to feel the fabric to determine whether it is of high quality.
Scams: While making purchases from a cloned website, some customers become the victims of internet fraud. For instance, some people might believe they are making purchases via the official Amazon website, which is Amazon.com. Because some customers are impatient and don't thoroughly inspect their buying websites, scammers can clone this website to read Amason.com.
They will input their details, and thereby get scammed. This is the major reason some people are scared to make use of online shopping.
Why I Preferred Physical Shopping
The instant purchase and leaving with your goods after purchase is magnificent and can never be underestimated.
I was passing by a shoe store early last year and I saw a nice pair of shoes. I went to the store I negotiated and bought the footwear. I was so happy that I got a nice pair of shoes at an affordable price.
The most hilarious part was that I removed my sandals and put on the shoes right away after buying them.
I rocked the footwear to the party I was going to and everyone was looking at my beautiful footwear, some people asked where I got it from.
I don't need to wait for the delivery time, unlike online shopping.
I love to feel the products I want to buy, especially clothes and shoes. Sometimes the size written on the shoe is not the actual size when you test it.
The first time I ordered shoes online, the size didn't fit my legs. Although the delivery was of the actual size I ordered online. However, it didn't fit my legs at all. One of the reasons I enjoy buying my clothes and shoes from real stores is because of this.
If you patronize Physical stores, returning faulty items is easy, but doing so at online stores is more difficult. Not every online store receives returned goods. Because of this, you should always read the terms and conditions before making an online purchase to see if you may return any items.
I preferred physical shopping over online shopping for the reasons I mentioned above. Even though both types of shopping are important, each has advantages and disadvantages.
Thank You All For Reading